Pancreatic angiography

Pancreatic angiography is the most valuable method detecting neoplasms and inflammatory conditions of the pancreas. The authors were perfomed pancreatic angiography in 16 patients by the percutaneous transfemoral catheterization during the period of March 5, 1974 to May 30, 1978 at Dept. of Radiology, St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic Medical College. Diagnosis was primary pancreatic carcinoma in 9 cases, metastatic pancreatic carcinomafrom carcioma of the ampullar of Vater in 1 case, and pancreatitis in 6 cases. The angiographic findings were analysed. Six of 10 malignant neoplasms were hypovascular and 9 cases showed characteristic extra- orintra-pancreatic arterial encasement. Pancreatitis was particularly hypervascular with diffuse dilatation of the intrapancreatic arterial branches in 3 of 6 cases and homogenous parenchymal staining was seen in 2 cases. Pharmacoangiography with norepinephrine and substraction technique in the pancreatic disease were significantly effective to differentiate pancreatic carcinoma from pancreatitis. The accuracy of the present study was 87.5%.